The present invention relates to apparatus for use in washing paint brushes, and relates more particularly to such an apparatus which can also be used for driving a paint mixing tool.
FIGS. from 1 to 10 show an apparatus for use in washing paint brushes according to the prior art. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the apparatus comprises a cylindrical casing 1, an inner retainer 2, an outer retainer 3, an inner tube 4, a rectangular transmission plate 5, a cap 6, a driving rod 7, a driven gear 8, and a coupling block 9. The cylindrical casing 1, as shown in FIG. 2, has two ball bearings 11 and 12 at two opposite ends, each defining a center through hole 13 or 14. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the inner retainer 2 is made from a metal plate comprising a flat base 23, two curved projections 21 and 22 extended from the border of the flat base 23 at two opposite sides, a circular mouth 24 defined between the front ends of the curved projections 21 and 22, and a center coupling hole 25 at the center of the flat base 23. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the outer retainer 3 is made from a metal plate comprising a flat base 33 two backward projections 31 and 32 respectively extended from the border of the flat base 23 at two opposite sides, a mouth 34 defined between two opposite ends of the backward projections 31 and 32, and a center coupling hole 35 at the center of the flat base 23. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the rectangular transmission plate 5 comprises four triangular teeth 51 outwardly projected from the four corners at the same plane, and a center through hole 52. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the driven gear 8 comprises a coupling portion 82 at one side, an inner thread at the coupling portion 82, and four teeth 83 equiangularly spaced at an opposite side. As illustrated in FIG. 7, the driving rod 7 comprises an auger rod section 71 in the middle, a handle 72 at one end, and a plurality of raised portions 73 at an opposite end. The raised portions 73 are made after the driving rod 7 is inserted through the center through hole 61 of the cap 6 and the center through hole 52 of the rectangular transmission plate 5. Therefore, when the raised portions 73 are made, the cap 6 and the rectangular transmission plate 5 are prohibited from escaping out of the driving rod 7. Referring to FIG. 8, the coupling block 9 has two pins 91 and 92 at two opposite ends. When the inner retainer 2 and the outer retainer 3 are respectively mounted around the pin 92 of the coupling block 9 by the respective coupling holes 25 and 35, the pin 92 is hammered down to form a head, and therefore the inner retainer 2 and the outer retainer 3 are secured to the coupling block 9. When the inner retainer 2 and the outer retainer 3 are fastened to the coupling block 9, the mouths 24 and 34 are aligned. When the pin 91 of the coupling block 9 is welded to the inner tube 4, and therefore the inner retainer 2, the outer retainer 3, the coupling block 9, and the inner tube 4 are fixed together to form a chuck. The inner tube 4 has an outer thread 41 at one end remote from the coupling block 9. Referring to FIGS. 1, 7, and 8 again, steel balls 15 are respectively mounted in the ball bearings 11 and 12 of the cylindrical casing 1, then the chuck (the inner tube 4 with the retainers 2 and 3) is inserted through the center through holes 13 and 14 of the ball bearings 11 and 12, and then the inner thread 81 of the driven gear 8 is threaded onto the outer thread 41 of the inner tube 4, and then the driving rod 7 is inserted into the inner tube 4, permitting the teeth 51 of the rectangular transmission plate 5 to be respectively engaged with the teeth 83 of the driven gear 8, and then the cap 6 is welded to the cylindrical casing 1. When in use, the cylindrical casing 1 is held in one hand, the handle 72 of the driving rod 7 is pulled outwards with the other hand. When the driving rod 7 is pulled out of the cylindrical casing 1, the rectangular transmission plate 5 is driven by the auger rod section 71 of the driving rod 7 to turn the chuck. When the handle 72 of the driving rod 7 is forced backwards to its former position, the chuck is turned in the reversed direction. Referring to FIG. 9, a flat paint brush 10 can be fastened to the mouth 34 of the outer retainer 34 and the mouth 24 of the inner retainer 2. Referring to FIG. 10, a cylindrical paint brush 20 can be mounted around the outer retainer 3. When a paint brush is installed, it is dipped in the solvent, and the chuck is turned back and forth to move the paint brush in the solvent, permitting residual paint to be quickly removed from the paint brush.